Honey, I'm home...

We have officially moved in! The house is amazing and has some of the most beautiful plants and flowers along with an abenjero bush that I will be using the chiles from to flavor our meat with! So fun. So much to do. We have spent yesterday and today cleaning our bedroom up and unpacking our clothes.. isnt it funny that that is all we have to un-pack, and putting things in places that we will remember that they are there. We shopped for food and a few cleaning supplies at a local market in Puerto Veijo where we went to drop off stinky, stinky clothes at the lavanderia. The laundry shop also sold fresh collected honey in an old wine bottle and that was the highlight of our dinner last night; Phil surprised me with a loaf of great bread and I cooked for the first time in our kitchen. I am not familiar with how they cook black beans down here, and after boiling them in a pot for close to two hours, I realized that they simply were not ever going to be done. I will be asking someone pronto about the secret to that one, because I love the beans and rice here. Phil installed a shower head in our bathroom that introduced hot water to that shower which made him the manliest stud in town for me! It is awesome that we have a warm shower now, and Phil enjoyed the benefits of the invention after installing it right after I showered and washed my hair in water that just melted from an iceburg! I love him still and he felt bad about the timing. =) Phil and I just met Barret, the guy from Alternative MIssions here, and had a great time talking about the latest projects and needs they have. They have two house churches going right now, as well as a coverd skate area where some local boys come to ride skate boards. The side of the street they are on, however, is not able to get any building permits at this time so no work is being done on the music cafe or other building. That is something to be lifting up in prayer, that they recieve favor and are able to get the O.K.'s they need to do some of the projects they want to see get done in the next year or so. Phil and I are going to be spending the next week or so just lifting that possibility up in prayer. Talking was good, but we want to get direction from God on whether or not this is why He has brought us; there is a reason we have been brought to Costa Rica, and we are asking for God to show us our place here. I look forward to the time to do that these next couple of days, and to talk to our friend Lance who is coming from El Salvador and get more perspective on Latin American culture and ministry. Keep us in your prayers these next couple of days that God would be direct and clear with us, and that we would seek out all opportunities to hear from Him. As always, we send our love to our families and friends, and thank you all so much for the different ways you have invested in our upcoming year here. We are figuring it out, man, and continuing to see what adventures the next day brings us.
That the Lord would coninue to guide, and shelter us,
Shan